Railway-switch.



'PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904.

' T. E. GUMMERSON. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1903. nomonnn. 2 sums-sum 1.

w o o v ML in i/NVENTOH N N film/25W ATTORNEYS.

PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904,

T. E. GUMMERSON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1903.

no MODEL. 2 sums-8111mm.

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no. w ser UNTTED STATES Iatented March 15", 1904:.

THOMAS EIGUMMERSON, OF CRESTONE, COLORADO.

RAILWAY-SWITCH- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.754,864, dated March 15, 1904.

Application filed Inly 29, 1903. Serial No. 167,426. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. GUMMnRsoN, of Orestone, in the county ofSaguache and State of Oolorado,have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railway Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-switches in which theusual construction of frog is done away with and in its stead a swingingrail is used and also to improvements in the special parts designed tocarry out the purpose of the invention.

The object of my invention is to do away with the usual frog and toproduce a simple, efficient, and cheap switch, one that can readily beinstalled, removed, or repaired and that is sure in its operation andnot affected by sleet, snow, mud, or dust.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel constructions,arrangements, and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

The structure embodying my invention is fully illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a plan View as in use. Fig. 2 is a detail section of one ofthe throw-rails, showing shoe. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing therack and pinion and inclosing boxing. Fig. 4 is a perspective of thewearing-plate. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the railstops. Fig. 6 is asectional view on line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 1s a detail plan View ofthe turn-table device. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line y y of Fig. 6.Fig. 9 is a central transverse vertical section through the turn-tabledevice. Fig. 10 is adetail horizontal section showingthe wedge andconnecting-bolt at the meetingends of main and switch track.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the main-track rails.

A A are the rails of side track or switch, and B B are the ordinarythrow-rails, suitably mounted on ties to permit of their propermovement. At their free ends the throw-rails are secured to a bridle B,secured to a shoe B and extending outwardly from this shoe is a rod B*,secured to the lever of a switchstand S. The end of the throw-railfarthest from the switch-stand fits in and is secured to a shoe B", tothe outer side of which is hinged or pivotally secured a rack-bar Bhaving a rack on its under surface at its outer end, which rack engageswith a pinion 0, secured to one end of a rock-shaft O, suitably mountedin boxes O, secured to the ties alongside of the main-track rails.

The end of the rock-shaft O which carries the pinion c is journaled in abearing-plate L. (Shown in Fig. 4.) This bearing-plate is made of asingle piece of metal having an opening in the center, through which thepinion 0 rotates, and has the struck-up portions forming the bearingsfor the rock-shaft O. Over this bearing-plate is placed the box-cap M,which incloses the rack-bar and pinion and protects them from dirt,water, snow, and ice. This box-cap consists of a central raised portionand the base flanges, whichare secured to the bearing-plate and tie bybolts 01' other suitable fastenings.

I provide in the place of the usual frog a swinging rail D, which issecured to a disk E by fish-plates F by means of bolts passing throughthe base of said fish-plates and through the disk E, the heads of saidbolts being countersunk in the bottom face of said disk. The disk restson and is adapted to turn on a bedplate Gr, forming a chair for theswingingrail, being retained in place by segmental plates or flanges H,the inner edges of said plates Hbeing cut at such angles as to preventthe swinging rail moving beyond its registering position with relationto either the main-track rail A or the side track A. The bed-plate,whichis made of malleable cast iron or steel, as well as the parts E andH, consists usually of three pieces G, G, and G the part G being longerthan G, and the part G is bolted to the part G and forms a rest or basefor the shorter end of the pivoted swinging rail D, or the part G may beintegral with the part G, thus forming a raised portion or shoulder. Thepart G is secured to the upper face of the cross-tie P,

as shown in Fig. l.

The-ends of the rails A and A adjacent to the shorter end of swingingrail D are brought the wedge-shaped block I. On the outer sides of theserails at this point are placed the clamping-plates O 0.

Near the free end of the longer end of swinging rail D a shoe D issecured, within which said rail fits, and to this shoe is hinged orpivoted one end of a pitman J, the other end of the pitman extendingoutwardly and being secured to a crank 0 at that end of the rockshaft C,as shown. The longer end of swinging rail D rests upon plate G securedto the tie P, and secured to and resting upon this plate are the ends ofthe main rail A and sidetrack or switch rail A by means ofclampingplates. As plainly shown in Fig. 7, two diagonally opposite endsof the segmental plates or flanges are beveled, as at It it, while theother two diagonally opposite edges are cut straight, as shown at it It.These bevel cuts and straight cuts, respectively, form stops for theswinging or oscillating rail when thrown for the side tracks and formain tracks.

The ends of the main and side track rails adjacent to the shorter end ofthe pivoted swinging rail D are secured on the raised or step portion Gof the bed-plate or chair Gby clampplates, and the shorter end of saidswinging rail being mounted on the disk E, which is in turn mounted uponthe lower portion G of the bed-plate, it will be seen that said shorterend will slide on the raised portion G when it is brought intojuxtaposition with either the main-track rail or the side or switchtrack rail.

It will be understood that by throwing the lever of the switch-stand ineither direction the swinging rail D will, through the rackbar, thepinion, the bridle and rod connected to the sliderails, and therock-shaft, open or close the main-track line, and, vice versa, the sidetrack or switch line. By pivoting or hinging the end of the rack-bar tothe shoes bearing the rails the parts will work perfectly, smoothly, andnot bind or jam.

It will be seen that I produce a simple, cheap, and eflicient switchdevice, one that can be readily installed, repaired, or removed, and onethat will not be aflected by snow, sleet, ice, mud, &c., as thesegmental plates or flanges fitting closely the oscillating disk preventany such substances getting in and clogging at this point. Furthermore,the introduction of the wedge-shaped block within the angle formed bythe main and side track rails makes a solid and secure fastening at thispoint and prevents any creeping or spreading of said rails, as the saidblock is rigidly secured to said rails by bolts or other suitablefastening means.

The disk E with the bed-plate and the segmental retaining plates orflanges form a turntable for the swinging rail D.

T (shown in Fig. 5) represents stops for the throw-rails B B and alsofor the swinging rail D.

It will be observed that with the use of my improvements there will beno danger of a person getting a foot caught, as is quite common with theordinary switch-frogs, thus making my device a safety appliance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is l 1. In arailwayswitch,the combination withthe switch-rails and rails of the main track, a switch stand,connections therefrom to the sliding or shifting rails, a swinging railconnected to the sliding rails through a rock-shaft, pinion and rack-barand pitman, a turn-table to carry said swinging rail, consisting of abed-plate having a stepped or shouldered upper surface, a disk restingon said bed-plate and secured to the swinging rail, segmental retainingplates or flanges secured to the bedplate and embracing said disk, thediagonally opposite edges of the flanges or retainingplates beingrespectively beveled and straight to form stops for the swinging railwhen in its open or closed position.

2. In a railway-switch,the combination with the switch-rails and railsof the main track, a switch -'stand, connections therefrom to thesliding or shifting rails, a swinging rail, a turn-table carrying saidswinging rail, consisting of a bed-plate having a stepped or shoulderedupper surface, a disk resting on the low portion of said bed-plate andsecured to the swinging rail, segmental retaining plates or flangessecured to the low portion of said bed-plate and embracing said disk, arockshaft having a crank at one end, pitmen pivotally secured tosaidcrank, a pinion secured to the opposite end of the rock-shaft, arackbar pivotally secured to one of the shifting rails, a shoe embracingthe flanges of the swinging rail near its longer end, said shoe beingpivotally secured to the pitmen, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a railway-switch the combination with the switch-rails and railsof the main track, a switch-stand, connections therefrom to the slidingor shifting rails, a swinging rail, aturntable carrying said swingingrail, consisting of a bed-plate having a stepped or shouldered uppersurface, a disk resting on the low portion of said bed-plate and securedto the swinging rail intermediate its ends, segmental retaining platesor flanges secured to the low portion of said bed-plate and overhangingthe periphery of said disk, a rock-shaft having a crank at one end, apitman pivotally secured to said crank, a pinion secured to the oppositeend of said shaft, a shoe embracing the flanges of one of theshiftingrails, a rack-bar secured to said shoe and adapted to engage the pinionon the rock-shaft, a shoe embracing the flanges of the swinging railnearits longer end, said shoe pivotally secured to the pitmen, awedge-shaped block inserted between the converging ends of themain-track and switch rail, and fastenings for securing said block inplace and fastening the said converging ends of the rails to the saidblock. I

4:. In a railway-switch the combination with the switch-rails and railsof the main track, a switch stand, connections therefrom to the shiftingrails, a swinging rail, a turn-table carrying and having secured to itsaid swinging rail, a rock-shaft having a crank at one end pivotallyconnected through a pitman with one end of the swinging rail, a pinionsecured to the opposite end of the rock-shaft, a rack-bar pivotallysecured to one of the shifting rails and adapted to engage the pinion onthe rockshaft, whereby movement of the shifting rails will cause theswinging rail to register with one of the switch-rails or with one ofthe maintrack rails.

5. In a railway-switch the combination with the switch-rails and railsof the main track, a 20 man secured to said crank at one end and at 5its opposite end to the swinging rail, a pinion on the opposite end ofthe rock-shaft, a bearing-plate provided with a central opening toreceive said pinion and rock-shaft, a rock-bar pivotally secured at oneend to one of the shift- 3 ing rails and engaging the pinion on therockshaft, and a cap-box fittlng over sald p1n1on and rack.

THOMAS E. GUMMERsoNQ Witnesses: 1

H. H. SAUNDERS, CHAS. H. WVILKINSON.

